Stick house RV storage - Montana Owners Club

Yamaha_Mama · 10-01-2009, 07:20 AM

We are moving to a home where we will be able to keep our Montana next to our house (yeah!!). We have partial concrete driveway, partial shale and level dirt with no current utilities. We are curious about how others store their RVs at home. As always, thanks for your input!!! Marilyn

richfaa · 10-01-2009, 07:39 AM

When we did store the Rv's at home including the 3400 for one winter. We had power to the side of the house, first 30 amps then 50amps so we had power to the campers if necessary. If it got sub zero we would run a electric heater inside he camper to prevent damage. It was also a good idea to keep a couple of 40 or 60 watt light bulbs powered up to prevent moisture. Otherwise winterize as normal. The advantage to having it at home is you can check on it often and have power.

Tom S. · 10-01-2009, 09:24 AM

I installed an outdoor 50 amp outlet and keep the trailer plugged in whenever at home. I winterize during the winter, so I don't worry about heat, but Rich's idea about the light bulb for moisture is a good one.

Drifty1 · 10-01-2009, 10:20 AM

I paved our landing for the Montana yesterday. Looks like I can land a plane on it now. I bought a dehumidifier off Craig's list for $30 a few weeks ago and set in th 5th wheel. I can get about a gallon every day and half. It will hold the humidity a 30% with a little heat output to boot.
I am going to install a 30 amp panel out side as soon as I get done making some changes to the inside. I wonder if it is better to live the slides out since I have the room?

Link to paving job. http://picasaweb.google.com/Drifty1/BigRed#
Larry in Olympia

Delaine and Lindy · 10-01-2009, 10:58 AM

Before we went full timing we had a carport type building next to our stick house, it was a 36' long 18' wide and 15' tall. And we also had a 50 amp service. And we sold the house and RV site and went full timing. Then we went and build a RV site for home base 50 amp service with sewer system. Then we had a 40' wide 50' long and 16' tall pole barn type. I would recomend if you store the Montana during the winter I would have a 50 amp service and some type of cover. It will save you money and protect your roof. I haven't ever winterized our RV's we go South. Good Luck with your decision. GBY....

tim43 · 10-01-2009, 11:03 AM

We keep ours in the back yard and winterize as normal about mid December. Keep it hooked up to shore power, 15 amp, and keep a vent cracked. Third rig stored this way and never had a problem with moisture as it is in the sun most of the day.

hookman · 10-01-2009, 12:48 PM

We put in a 30amp outlet in the garage so we keep the monatan pluged in year round. In the winter I blow out the lines and antifreeze the water system and run a ceramic heater in the basement and one in the living area.

richfaa · 10-01-2009, 01:11 PM

Don't know about leaving the slides out. If you have snow you may have snow drifts inside the camper..also the weight of snow/ice on the slides. Don't think they could handle the weight.. Wait a minuite//they have the Arctic package..there is nothing to worry about/////

ARJ · 10-01-2009, 01:32 PM

I drain the lines and water heater and fill er up with antifreeze (now $3.50 at Checker Auto).

I do have it plugged in and the slides are out. Sometimes I unplug it and pull the slides in. I just wing it according to what I feel like. Colorado is dry and Grand Junction does not get much in the way of snow so it is kind of a no brainer.

Having it outside the house sure makes it nice for guests though.

Farmhawk · 10-01-2009, 04:28 PM

I keep mine in a 30' x 50' shop winterized and completely shutdown,(batteries turned off), until mid February when we go to Yuma for a couple of weeks. With it being indoors I keep the vents and one or two windows open for ventilation. I live in NW Montana and the shop has never been below 20 degrees.

clutch · 10-01-2009, 04:52 PM

We have a level area that we graveled this summer to eliminate ruts in the yard. It is right next to our shop and there is a 20 amp outlet on the side of the shop. That is enough to keep the batteries up and lights and other things working. If we stayed here all winter I would build a roof off the side of the shop for a cover to keep the snow off. Our shop is tall.

Yamaha_Mama · 10-01-2009, 07:14 PM

Thanks for all your input. I should have mentioned that we are in the wine growing region of Northern California....very mild winter weather and no snow!!! We are about 60 miles north of San Francisco. I am making sure Ken sees all your suggestions to add to his Honey Do list!!! Thanks again.

c214dick · 10-02-2009, 08:35 AM

We keep ours at home and it sits on a concrete driveway. We installed a 50amp outlet and the Monty serves as a guest house when friends and relatives come to visit.

sailer · 10-02-2009, 03:24 PM

Wew looked at a rv house comunity today in crossville , tn ,, its very nice but 95% motor homes ,,,we don't think its for us ,, they have 14' garage doors and 80' deep garages so you have lots of room price was not to bad as $230,000.00 to $300,000.00 and the taxes in tn are very low as they are only 1200.00 on a house like this ,,sailer

**Rondo** · 10-10-2009, 09:34 AM

Marilyn-- Make sure you check with your local housing codes and local codes period. We can store ours at home here in Omaha but it has to be on a concrete pad and back behind the front of the house and also needs to be concealed by a fence or something like that. I had mine sitting in the driveway for about a week and a half last year and I got a letter from the police department telling me to move it or be ticketed. Some of the people in the neighborhood must be jealous that I have the Monte because they turned me in!!

Couldn't get their name however!!

Anyway, check your codes before doing anything to be on the safe side!

NCFischers · 10-10-2009, 05:06 PM

I was able to build a barn to house our Monty. It is opened up and plugged into 50 amp power. In the next couple of months, I hope to be able to finish the plumbing and sewer system in the barn so I'll be able to dump when we return from trips.

**Rondo** · 10-10-2009, 06:22 PM

Jim-- Got room in there for a second Monte? I'll come down and visit if you do!!

jackel1959 · 10-11-2009, 06:27 AM

We put our pad in in 1998. When I installed it I ran water, electricity (30AMP & 20AMP),cable to the pad and just used gravel as our base. We didn't do sewer because we are on septic and to get to the closest line would have been way too much work. Our first trailer was 20 Ft. and no slides so the pad was a little bit smaller than it is today.

When we bought the Mountaineer in 2004 I extended and widened the pad to accommodate it and that worked fine but in 2007 I decided to do away with the gravel and pour concrete. That really made the pad nice and no gravel inside the rig from going in and out.

When we bought the Montana this year, we did not have to do any modifications to the pad. Yes, we only have 30AMP service but that is fine when we are parked at the house. We too use it as guest accommodations for family and friends.

We leave the rig plugged in all the time and if we do not need to have the slides out, we keep them in. Our winters aren't really harsh but we do get stretches where the temperature does not get above freezing for a few days at a time. When that happens I have turned the thermostat in the rig to the lowest setting and let the heater do the warming. This year in the new rig I am going to try space heaters and see how that works. We also put out a couple of the reusable de-humidifiers and they work fine, I just make sure I put them in a disposable aluminum pan so if I forget to check them/empty them they don't overflow onto the trailer's surfaces.
Jack

The Weekenders · 10-11-2009, 06:52 AM

We park our Monty in the front yard, winterized and plugged into 15 amp but this week I am getting a 30 amp box installed this week. I generally run a oil filled radiator heater in it. If there is no risk of bad weather, heavy snow etc, I will leave the slides out for the simple fact it makes me feel better, looks sickly with the slides in. I have forgotten to put the slides in before a storm came, didnt have any problems with snow drifting in. Over on RV.Net, some folks seem concerned about the weight of the snow on the roof, I wouldn't worry. We had over 120 inches of snow last winter with no issues. I would worry about damaging the rubber roof removing snow more than I would the snow on it. RV dealers around ND don't have issues. JMO

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